Granny's Visit

On Easter Sunday, my mom, aka "Granny", flew in from California for a very fun visit. After getting on the scale today, I realized that we may have had a little too much fun. 5 lbs worth of fun. Oh well...it was worth it.
The kids had their first Easter egg hunt at my in-laws new retirement community. I consider hunting for brightly colored eggs hidden among rocks cheating. Not quite as hard to spot as a California backyard. But it was great fun for AJ who, despite carrying a bucket with him, decided that the more effective way of gathering up all the eggs would be to see how many he could fit in his hands and under his armpits.


Cienna & Mimi







After eating lots of candy my mom decided that it would be a good idea to make Easter basket cupcakes. Like two dozen of them. I have a stomach ache just thinking about it. But they were adorable and very fun to make!


Cienna & Granny

The highlight of the trip was going to the Turquoise Museum in ABQ. We learned more than we ever needed to know about turquoise, most importantly that there is so much to know about turquoise that one can never be an expert on it. I brought in a necklace that Tony got from a hauling job, which was bound by string and wrapped in a leather pouch. Based on the look of it I assumed that it must be a precious Native American artifact...but it was really only worth about $85. Oh well...

I loved having my mom here for the week. And I can't wait to have her back!

Little League

Our baby girl is officially in little league! Last Saturday, Cienna had her first game with team "Storm" as #11. After spending 5 hours out at the ball fields enduring high winds and what someone threw together as an "opening day ceremony", I discovered a new found respect for my parents that I never had before. I realized how much fun it is as the player....involved in the game, hanging with your friends, excited about who brought what for snack time...but for the parents, well it can be torture.
Tee ball is the cutest thing that I have ever seen. Cienna was drawing petroglyphs in the dirt while the "game" was going on around her. After several attempts at hitting the ball, when she finally did get the ball off the tee she stood there until her coach took her hand and slightly jogged to 1st base. At one point, as she was running to 2nd, one of the infielders threw her the ball and she caught it...as the runner! Total comedy!
If it weren't for buying her a pink bat, pink glove and pink tee ball I don't think that I would have even gotten her to try the sport. The 1st time she put on her uniform she complained that her "outfit was horrible!" and that "today was going to be a disaster!" I am not sure where she gets this fussiness. I never had a problem putting on my uniform and getting dirty. In fact, I loved it. I did recognize one similarity to Tony though...she was super stoked when she discovered that after every game she gets a snack that consists of sugar, sugar and some sugar to wash it down with! She just may try tee ball again!
AJ is a little hard to handle but in general he is happy to be outdoors so that is good. And as long as Cienna shares some of her snacks with him I think that we all will survive the season!

Perfect

For some strange reason, as I was heading off to bed tonight, this overwhelming feeling came over me. Total contentment. Instead of telling myself "tomorrow is going to be a better day", or "urgh, I have so much to do!" or any of the other things that usually enter into my head at the end of the day...I felt completely satisfied. With life.
I am really happy with where my life is. I am happy with who I married and with the little kids that we brought into this world. And as much as I sometimes dwell on the fact that I never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, I feel that I am where I need to be at this moment in my life.
I try hard at everything I do, even though I am not always successful. I know now that I need to accept that I am not perfect and that makes me "me." My personal growth, while it may seem insignificant to most, is something that I strive for. And at the end of the day, as I look around, my husband and my kids love me unconditionally. And it is because of them that I continue to strive. And it is because of them that my heart swells up. And that is about as perfect as it gets.

Viva Las Vegas!

WoW! What a trip! Tony and I went on a much needed vacation without the kiddos to Las Vegas this week with his brother Dominick and his girlfriend (Ms. Vegas herself!) Phyllis. And since I forgot my camera I will have to improvise. So to give you a visual....here they are!


After traveling with Dom and Phyllis there is no way we can ever go to Vegas again without them. Everything was 1st class all the way. So in a nutshell here was our trip....

After picking us up in a limo we headed to dinner at Maggiano's where we enjoyed Italian food and champagne. We then were shown our suite at the MGM Grand hotel. And let me tell you, it was spectacular!


After changing into our Vegas clothes (can you believe that I even own "Vegas" clothes?) we went straight to the front of the line at Tabu nightclub. There we danced and drank the night away until the wee ours of the morning!


The next morning I actually felt pretty decent. Considering my alcohol tolerance isn't the best since I started having kids I was surprised that when I got up I was still pretty perky. Maybe it was the fact that I woke up on my own and not to the sounds of little ones asking me for breakfast. Maybe it was the 100% Colombian coffee. I felt invincible! That is until the afternoon. I must have still been drunk in the morning because as the day worn on I wasn't feeling so hot. But I rebounded nicely after doing a little window shopping and lounging by the pool for a bit.

That evening we joined some of Dom & Phyllis's business associates at The Palm for drinks and appetizers and then went to see Celine Dion at the opening night of her new show. All I know is that after 15 years together, it wasn't until that night, March 15th, 2011, that I really knew how much Tony loves me. It was sheer torture for him. All of the ballads, the French accent and the wardrobe changes were enough to put him over the edge. About every 20 minutes he headed back to the bar. He looked like he was having as much fun as I envision a vasectomy to be. But he sat through it like a champ. Took one for the team so to speak. And I love him for it. The highlight of the concert was a surprise appearance by Stevie Wonder. All in all it was very fun (for me.)


WAY too many drinks that night. Let's skip to the next day.

We went to the outlet mall and did some SHOPPING! For as many bags as we had you would have thought we spent thousands. But we actually did pretty well. Tony of course bought more than I did. Which I always find funny considering he is either wearing his uniform or Carhartt gear. But I made up for it that evening when I indulged on the most expensive handbag that I have ever bought. It makes me smile. And I love it. So it was worth every penny!



Our only celebrity citing was Rosie O'Donnel who Tony called Rosanne Barr. Close enough T. So that was the trip. It was fabulous. A big thank you to Dom & Phyllis for going with us and treating us to such a special time. We had a blast!

BFF

Last weekend my BFF from high school came to visit from Denver. I have known Jen since we met freshman year in Mr. Boerner's English class in 1993. I had known of her prior to that when rumor had it that she had stabbed my boyfriend in the arm during a fight in middle school. That's right...we were destined to be best friends!

She arrived late Friday night which also happened to be Tony's 32nd birthday. Fortunately we had a babysitter booked, dinner reservations planned and lots of great friends to join us for the festivities! After a fabulous meal at Yanni's, we headed to Imbibe for a quick drink and then off to Q Bar for some more drinks and dancing. We ran into another firefighter there and after a playful wrestling match between he and Tony OUR party was asked to leave. I am sure that it didn't help that everyone in his party was 5'5" or shorter and everyone in our party was 5'7" or taller. I swear, big people can't catch a break. Even though we were asked to leave, everyone from both sides came back to our house for a little after party of burgers on the grill and pinball playing. It was a blast!

Over the course of the weekend Jen and I had many, many great talks about life, love, friendship and about what it means to be a woman in today's society. We are very similar but have chosen different paths in life (at least up to this point.) She joined the Army right out of high school, saw different countries and started a career as a RN. I went to college, started a career and then became a stay-at-home mom. She is getting ready to be married in June and by then I will have been married 7 years. She is conflicted between wanting to have kids and wanting to travel the world...which I am as well. OK, just kidding. No matter where life takes us I know that we will always be BFFs. Our friendship is just that easy.

We also managed to fit in a quick trip to Santa Fe. She had never been and I had never been without Tony so it was fun. And the kids were AMAZING! It was like they knew that I was going to lock them in the closet if they acted up or something. A perfect day!

The only downfall of the weekend was that I didn't take a single picture! So instead I will add a few "old school" pics of Jen and I.


Our High School Yearbook Photo When We Were Voted "Thelma & Louise"


Prom 1997 (Look How Young T Looks!)


My 21st Birthday


My 30th Birthday

Oh man, the stories that we could tell. I need to write them down so that I don't forget...then bury it somewhere where no one will find it! XOXOXOXO Jenny!

Field Tripping

Another Valentine's Day has come and gone...this one spent mourning our beloved Zeus. In case anyone is wondering I have finally stopped crying and have gotten to a place where I can talk (and think)about him without becoming a total basket case. Cienna celebrated with a fun filled day at school, including a special note from mom & dad.



The weekend after Valentine's Day we had a house guest. Tony and I both met Danny in the 6th grade. He tells a very funny story how when he came half way through the 6th grade year from Texas, he had a crush on me. Another classmate of ours asked him if he was looking at me in class and he said yes...only to then be told that I was "bad news" because I was Tony Mazotti's girlfriend. I think what he meant to say was that Tony Mazotti was bad news! Funny that we can all talk and laugh about things like that now. We played Ghettopoly (yes that is a real game!) and dominoes for much of the weekend and talked about the good ol' days. It was a lot of fun!

Danny and "Bad News"

Today I escorted Cienna's class on their 1st field trip of the school year. We went to none other than Albuquerque Fire Station #3! After a quick tour of the station and then an adorable talk about fire safety, Tony showed the kids his bunker gear and they all got to sit on the fire truck. It was so much fun and I think that everyone had a great time!

Question & Answer Period


Firefighter Tony Showing His Fire Outfit


Learning "Stop, Drop & Roll"


Giving Tony a Big Thank You Hug

With another field trip planned for next week, it sure does make me happy that I am able to stay at home with my kids. Each and every year, life gets a little more interesting (and crazy!)

Zeus

Dear Zeus,

I remember the day that we picked you up from the Denver airport. It was September 25, 2002 and your dad and I drove 7 hours in a rented van, spent the night in the shabbiest hotel that money could buy and waited countless hours the next day for your little crate to arrive from South Africa. After freeing you from customs, we loaded you up and started the drive back to ABQ. We were in love. You were perfect in every way, although we thought that you were a little too skinny so we nicknamed you "Ribsy."

September 25, 2002

On the drive home, we stopped at a gas station so that you could use the "facilities." After making it abundantly clear that you were not the type of dog to pee or poop in a concrete parking lot you jumped back in the van, onto the passengers seat and proceeded to take a dump right there. All I can say is thank God it was a rental car!
Throughout the years you have given us so much joy and companionship. Our motto was if we couldn't do it with you we wouldn't do it at all! You were the absolute light of our life and we wanted to share it with the world!


Merry Christmas 2003

You taught us what having kids would be like before we ever had them. I realized pretty quickly that when Tony and I did have kids he would not be the one to wake up with them. In fact, not only did you ALWAYS come to my side of the bed at night to let you out, but after a while you would even trick me into getting up, start sleep walking to the back door, only to realize that you were not behind me and instead had jumped into my side of the bed!
You also taught us that kids can have a mischievous side (but you still love them anyway.) Like the time that you flooded the house after playing tug-o-war with the garden hose. And when the workers came to repair the damage they were terrified of you after you stuck your head through the hole in the wall for the pellet stove pipe and growled at them. Or maybe it was the fact that you were running around the yard swinging the propane tank from your mouth that scared them?
Speaking of scared, don't think that just because they were strangers that that's why they were scared of you! I remember the time that dad was on a hunting trip and you sat and growled at me for like 20 minutes. So what if you were only 12 weeks old and weighed all of 35lbs? I was scared to move! When I put you in your crate you started whimpering and wining so of course I let you out and do you remember what you did? You started eating staples that dad left on the garage floor and growled at me more, only this time with staples hanging out of your mouth! I was terrified of you and crying and calling Tony and do you know what he told me? "He is a puppy! Put him on his back and pin his arms back and tell him who is boss!" And that is exactly what I did. I was never scared of you again from that day forward.


How Could Anyone Be Scared Of This Guy?

Remember our hunting trip? When we put you in our friend's camper and I guess you got scared or must have heard something and decided to shred the entire camper and jump 8ft to the ground? Of course our friend thought a bear had attacked his truck and demanded to know who was going to pay for the damage...and all I cared about was that you were safe. In fact, you hadn't even left the camp site. You were cowarding in front of the truck hoping not to be in trouble. Having you safe was well worth the $700 bill.

And how could I forget the 1st time that you got out of the yard? We actually didn't have a clue, and stayed out until 1am having a grand ol' time. When we pulled up to the house it was storming like crazy and the gate was flapping in the wind. We were shocked and thought "oh my God! You got out!" But as we pulled into the driveway there you were...sitting on the front porch, in the pouring rain, just waiting for us to get home. Apparently the neighbors had seen you out for hours, just roaming the front yard but you were a little too intimidating to approach. Little did they know that all they had to do was put you in the backyard with their dog and you would have been happy as a clam.


Strutting Your Stuff

In 2005 you became a brother. Tonka Maria was introduced into your life and from that day forward we could never be sure if you were happy about this or just plain pissed. Either way, you took it in stride and you were a great big brother. You played with her, wrestled, allowed her to chew on your ears and tug at the loose skin on your neck. Your patience was truly impressive.


But every once in a while you let her know who was boss. That was what was great about you Zeus. You were always the biggest dog on the block but you were a gentle giant. And you never had to prove a thing.


I guess that I could go on and on and on about all of the great memories that you have left us with. They will continue to play on in my head like a highlight reel...one after another after another. We could not have asked for a better, kinder, more loyal, handsome or loving dog in the entire world. Thank you for being part of our family for the last 8 1/2 years. Thank you for still loving us even when life and kids and jobs and responsibilities got in the way at times. Thank you for teaching us what true love truly is. Even though it hurts for us to say goodbye to you we know that you are in a better place and that we will see you again...and daddy will say "What's up the Moosers, up, up!" and pat his chest and I will say "Zeuser Moose, give me a kiss!"







R.I.P. 7.7.02 - 2.10.11